I've recently become interested in photography, thanks in part to this website.  However, with pretty much 0 knowledge of anything to do with photography/cameras I'm looking for a nice book that can teach me the basics of cameras and the art of photography.  I'm hoping someone on UO has a recommendation or 2 for a book that's worthy of purchasing.

 

I took the attached photo today on my way home from work mostly because I'm obsessed with the statue and as I was driving down East 3rd I really liked the symmetry and how the statue's hand lined up with the top of the crane in the background (reaching toward progress?).  The quality is pretty terrible because I was using my cell phone in my car and had to zoom.

quit texting & driving.

 

Plenty of research books available on photography at the library or at your local bookstore.  It's a great hobby.  Craigslist has some phenomenal deals on Canon & Nikon DSLR setups with lenses, jumbo memory cards, etc for a fraction of what they cost new, only a few years old.  The technology is still far superior to anything a novice will ever need

quit texting & driving.

 

Plenty of research books available on photography at the library or at your local bookstore.  It's a great hobby.  Craigslist has some phenomenal deals on Canon & Nikon DSLR setups with lenses, jumbo memory cards, etc for a fraction of what they cost new, only a few years old.  The technology is still far superior to anything a novice will ever need

 

Thanks, and don't worry I made sure to come to a complete stop in the middle of the road before I whipped out my cell.  Luckily that road doesn't get a lot of traffic.

"However, with pretty much 0 knowledge of anything to do with photography/cameras I'm looking for a nice book that can teach me the basics of cameras and the art of photography.  I'm hoping someone on UO has a recommendation or 2 for a book that's worthy of purchasing."

 

When you ask for advice about photography, it's not unlike asking about who makes the best pizza in town - you get lots of different answers. My approach to photography is very right-brained; I've learned some of the basic settings on my DSLR and which work better in different scenarios but if you asked me what shutter speed I used for a certain shot, I wouldn't know (or care) off the top of my head. I have a little bit of a photographic memory, so if I see something that catches my eye, I snap a pic and then do some post-processing to try to present the image as closely as I remember it. Others approach it like engineering and get geeked out figuring out if 1/2000th on such-and-such setting is going to make something 'pop'. Neither approach is wrong, it's just depends on your preference - but that's probably a bit down the road.

 

My advice is to try to understand what kind of photography you're going for; what you'd like to do with the photos, etc. If you're not planning to blow them up, or quit your day job (fyi, I still have a day job), you may want to get a decent point and shoot within your budget and just get out there and start snapping away. A good point and shoot will give you a good intro into how to use different settings, framing, etc. As you take more and more photos, you'll also learn how weather conditions and time of day affect your images. I'm a graphic designer so I have Photoshop but I know there are some photo editing programs out there that aren't too expensive. I wouldn't bother with a book beyond checking one out from the library - the photo you posted shows you know a good shot when you see one. 

 

Hope that helps a little.

 

 

I agree that if you are new, start with an inexpensive camera, whether it is point and shoot or and entry level dslr.  I had a point-and-shoot for a while and used it just as that, a point and shoot.  After a while, I decided to get a bit more serious and got a Nikon D3000 (before I got even more serious and got the D7000).  I have gotten books, both from the library and for purchase.  Personally, I don't get very much into books that "teach" you as they tend to be so technical and boring.  Plus, it is hard to learn how to do something when you are reading it from a book and not out there actually doing what they are telling you to do in the book.  I prefers books that just have pictures as I find it interesting to see other's work.  I do know that if you buy a dslr from Dodd, that have a free 1 or 2 hour class to teach you the basics of the camera, although this is probably more applicable if you got a dslr.   

^ Dodd has classes for any level of expertise. You get some for free when you buy a camera there (P&S or DSLR), but you can take any class you want for something like $25-35 a class. You can also get private lessons from them. I recently got a Fuji P&S  from them, and they've been helping me figure out a hand-me-down Sony DSLR I just recently was given.

 

I've got some amazing shots of my index finger, and my lens cap, that I'll have to post on here.

quit texting & driving.

 

Plenty of research books available on photography at the library or at your local bookstore.  It's a great hobby.  Craigslist has some phenomenal deals on Canon & Nikon DSLR setups with lenses, jumbo memory cards, etc for a fraction of what they cost new, only a few years old.  The technology is still far superior to anything a novice will ever need

 

Yeah, the people at Dodd are super helpful and friendly in my experience.  I always go to the one on Lander Circle.  I don't mind spending a little bit extra to support the local company and to have the personal interaction.